Outfoxed
by turtleducklings
Summary: Now we're nearing the end of all this, and I've realized something that puts a serious dent in all my plans. Katniss is smarter than she seems. Huh. So Twirly Girl is almost as sly as I am. Who'd have thought it?


outfoxed.

**foxface**

( _subject to animosity_ )

disclaimer: not mine.

* * *

Foxface. Hmph. That's what that girl from Twelve calls me. What a _loser_. She didn't even take the time to get to know her enemy. Stupid, much? See, Katniss a prime example here. All my competition sees is a scrawny, red-haired girl with a face like a vixen. It's a good thing there's more to me than that. Because I have something _Katniss_ doesn't have.

_A brain_.

Ugh. You should've seen her during her interview. All twirly and giggly. It disgusted me. I mean, we're here, up against twenty-three other kids and you're concerned about showing off some glittery piece of _fabric_? Give me a break. At least _I_ have a plan. My strategy here is simple. I can't overpower any of the others physically.

But I sure can outsmart them.

It's a valid game plan. I simply piggyback on the other tributes without them knowing and let them all kill each other off. Then, I'm sitting pretty back in District 5. Outsmart and outlast. That's my play. Sure, people think that's cowardly. Not going into the fight, just hanging back until the dirty work's done. But hey, it's worked before. I can't even count how many tributes have won by that very same strategy. It's a wonder my competition hasn't caught on yet. But now we're nearing the end, and I've realized something that seriously puts a dent in my plan.

Katniss is smarter than she seems.

Who'd have thought it? Twirly Girl is almost as sly as I am. Interesting. I mean, even _I_ have to admit, what she did with the Career's food was pretty impressive. Almost genius. An action worthy of Ms. "Foxface" herself. However, that presented a problem. I didn't have a food source anymore. But I figured, oh well. Nothing can be done about it. I'd just have to work a little harder is all.

This was more difficult than it seemed. I didn't have any effective hunting weapons, and I had trouble distinguishing edible plants from poisonous ones. I didn't want to take any chances. I was able to find some mint leaves and a few nuts that I knew were for sure good to eat, but those were _not_ filling me up enough. I was slowly starving, and I knew it.

When Caesar Flickerman announced the rule change, I wished my District partner was still alive. He could have helped me out, and we could have both gone home in the end. But no amount of wishing can raise the dead. And, this made things doubly worse for me. Twirly Girl was going to find Lover Boy and they had a big chance of winning this. They for sure had the sponsors for it. I can't believe those Capitol idiots buy into the crap. Can't they see it's all just a game?

And now those two Careers are bound to team up. Cato and Clove. They're just as dangerous.

But, I was alone, and there was nothing I could do about it. But, I still had just as many brains as I did before. That hadn't changed. I could still win this.

I went for a few days on very little food and water. I spied on the Careers, checking to see if they had any food worth stealing, but it was useless. They were as starved as I was.

But one night, as I was getting ready to go to sleep, Flickerman came on again. Except this time… he was announcing a feast. I seriously considered going. I needed food desperately. But… wait… he said that there were backpacks for each district.

_Filled with something we needed desperately._

_Food._

Or at least, something that would help me acquire some food. I needed to get to those packs before anyone else, or else I would be overpowered and then dead.

But hey, it's me. The Fox. And I've always got a plan.

So the next morning, at the crack of dawn, when that table with the backpacks rose from the ground, I was in position in the Cornucopia. And before anyone made a move, I was gone, running through the forest, backpack in hand. I didn't take anybody else's pack. The last thing I needed was an angry Career on my tail.

Once I was deep into the woods, I stopped and ripped open the backpack.

_Yes. Food._

It surprisingly lasted a while. For four whole days. But, as with everything else in this twisted world… it eventually ran out. I needed more food. So I decided to try the scavenging thing again.

I figured Lover Boy and his caretaker would be my best bet. After all, I knew that Katniss had an extensive knowledge of plants; I watched her in training. And I've seen what she could do with a bow and arrows. No doubt she was an excellent hunter.

So I followed all the telltale signs to their camp. They were hiding out in a cave near the creek.

Aww. How touching. They're hunting together. Ugh. Barf.

But… wait… now Lover Boy is telling Katniss something. And… they're splitting up. _Perfect_.

I watch as Peeta begins gathering berries off of a nearby bush. He makes a small pile on the sheet of plastic that Katniss picked up from the Cornucopia.

He turns around to continue gathering berries. Now's the time.

As I near the sheet of plastic, I notice that there's goat cheese and apples along with the berries. I'm tempted to take all of it, but I don't want them to know I was here.

So I only grab a small handful of the berries and a nibble of cheese. Then I'm gone. As I walk from the site, I hear Katniss start to frantically call Peeta's name off in the distance. I smile and pop a few of the berries in my mouth. Katniss has found him now, and she's yelling about something or other.

A thought occurs to me. Shoot. I took too much, and now they know! I start to jog as quietly as I can. There's time for me to get away still.

Hmm… these berries taste kind of strange. I can't put my finger on it…

I stop chewing. Involuntarily.

My body won't respond to my commands anymore. Sharp pangs fill my abdomen. I fall to the ground. _What… what's happening?_

I can still hear Katniss yelling. Except it now echoes. It probably shouldn't though. My body starts convulsing. _What's going on?_ I try to resist screaming from the pain. Then, it occurs to me.

_You've been set up._

_No. That's not possible! I was the smartest here! I was going to win! I'm the Fox! This can't be happening! It must be a dream! It has to be!_

But I know, deep down, even as I'm dying, that it's not. The berries were poisonous, and Katniss knew that I was going to take them.

My body gives one last spasm and my vision starts going black.

There's only one clear thought resounding in my poison-riddled mind as the life fades from my body.

_You've been outfoxed._


End file.
